


The Barren

by USWNT_Makes_Me_Feel_Some_Type_Of_Way



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-05-14 17:12:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5751463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/USWNT_Makes_Me_Feel_Some_Type_Of_Way/pseuds/USWNT_Makes_Me_Feel_Some_Type_Of_Way
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since the Outbreak, the elite have ruled like Gods from the sky, while the inhabitants of the Barren slowly fall victim to the creatures of the Outbreak and the now scorched remains of planet Earth. When the Council decides to cease communications with the inhabitants of the Barren once and for all, Ali Krieger, the head councilman's daughter, makes a plea for them to allow her to rescue her brother from the harsh planet she once called home. She is given three weeks to rescue Kyle and return to the main port to be brought back to the lunar paradise she is now all too familiar with. However, even for a councilman's daughter, the mysteries and seductions of the Barren and its human (and not-so-human) inhabitants are not so easily ignored.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Lunar Soil

Never before had a woman looked down from the lunar soil to the Earth and felt such pity and melancholy. Ali had been told of times when men and woman had stood joyously where she now sat bathing in nostalgia. They had been able to view mother Earth at her most beautiful. Deep greens and vibrant ceruleans had been washed across her landscape, and her essence spoke of liveliness and vigor. Yet now she lay dying, a sepia wasteland of dirt and decay. Grey splotches occasionally broke the monotonous brown of her skin, and murky, juniper waters pumped through her veins. Mother Earth had experienced a hideous rebirth, and thus had been christened a new name, the Barren.  


“Barren she is,” whispered the young woman. “Yet barren she is not.” She thought of her brother. Blade of grass in her mouth, she began to quietly reflect. The lunar grass always tasted too clean, too artificial. She recalled the times of her youth where she and her brother would chew upon the treats of the earthen pastures. They housed a savory taste, telling of a natural growth. She wondered if grass had yet begun to grow again upon The Barren, and if so, was her brother still there to see it.  
Sometimes she looked closely at the scorched soils of her childhood home and wondered if any of the small dots she saw could be Kyle. At other times, she simply assumed that he must be as dead as the still seas of basil that once licked the shores of their homeland.  


Her family had been one of the elite. She remembered being herded upon the Titan, Kyle letting go of her hand at the security gate. She had legally become an adult a few days prior, yet she felt more like a child than ever while boarding the ominous spaceship. She had called Kyle brave for staying to help contain the outbreak. He had told her that it was only temporary. He had told her that she was the brave one for leaving the only home humanity had ever known. Yet now she could not help but have her doubts. The wealthy had thrived upon the lunar soil, ruling as Gods from above. They had the cleanest waters that science could create, and the sweetest meat that genetics could engineer. Meanwhile, information on the status of the Barren came through less and less in passing months. The latest official news had come over a month ago. Spoken in hushed mumbles, her father had explained the terrifying truth to the rest of the Council. The borders on the Barren had been breached. Special Forces were to be sent in to fix the barriers and remove all threats.  


The blaring of an assembly alarm startled the young woman out of her musings. With the intensity of a stampede, all of the citizens swiftly made their way to the nearest broadcast point. It was an interesting sight. Hordes of women in luxury fabrics were running as if they were in tracksuits. Well-dressed men in designer shoes galloped on the cobblestone streets, scuffing their loafers drastically. Ali walked slowly, knowing that this could be the moment where she would find out that her brother was dead. If the breach had been near Florida, Kyle’s squad could have easily been affected by now. Her blood ran cold as her father appeared on the screen. His face wore years of stress in its wrinkles; his greying hair whispered hints of his age. The handsome, friendly man that raised her was nowhere to be found. His lips were pressed into a thin line, He had grown cold in his rise to power, and it showed in his emotionless, grey eyes. Ali feared the worst.  


“Good evening everyone. As you all know, I am senator Krieger, head of the Council. Normally I have one of the other senators make announcements, but it is my duty as your leader to inform you of decisions that I personally have been the deciding factor on. As many of you have heard, there was a breach about a month ago. The breach has been patched. However, it has been determined that many similar breaches are likely in the future. The truth is, we no longer have the resources necessary to keep the settlements on the Barren safe from breaches. Since there is simply nothing more we can do, we have decided that the best course of action is to detach ourselves from the Barren and cease all communications.”  


The crowds rumbled. Ali could sense a feeling of disgust amongst the citizens, yet disgust was not enough to create rebellion. Empathy for those on the Barren had died out years ago. She sometimes wondered if anybody even remembered the loved ones they had left behind. Had the luxuries of lunar life taken away more than their humility?  


“Communications will officially cease one month from today on November 17. Thank you for your time and cooperation.”  


Before her brain had time to comprehend what was just said, her feet were already leading her to the courthouse. The senators were already lounging in the stone atrium, their consciences wrongfully clear. Dark liquor was flowing freely, and Ali’s father was chuckling alongside a barrage of other older men and women. They all wore a similar scent, cigar smoke and expensive whiskey. Their laughter never reached their eyes.  


“Excuse me,” said Ali quietly. The festivities ceased as all eyes locked themselves to the young woman. Smoke billowed out of several men's noses. “I would like to speak to my dad.”  


With a flick of the elder Krieger’s hand, the false merrymaking resumed. He walked swiftly to the courthouse doors, beckoning Ali to follow.  


“Father-“ she began.  


“My decision is final, Alexandra.”  


“I’m not trying to change your mind…”  


“Proceed then.”  


“I have a request.”  


“Ask.”  


“I would like to return to The Barren before next month and retrieve Kyle.”  


Her father’s face did not give away any emotion. He sipped from his glass slowly, contemplating his answer.  


“The Barren is a dangerous place.”  


“I know, father. I was there during the Outbreak. It was only a decade ago. I was an adult already. Have you already forgotten that terrifying day?”  


He sipped from his glass once more.  


“Very well,” he said. “You shall leave tomorrow from the courthouse. I will assign a member of the Lunar Corps to escort you on the Barren. You have three weeks to find your brother and return to base. A ship will return to the main port and stay there for twenty-four hours. If you do not arrive within that time, the ship will leave without you.”  


With a final sip, her father set his glass down on a nearby table. His footsteps echoed down the courthouse steps as he strutted back to the atrium. Ali stared, in both awe and disgust.


	2. Meeting the Officer

Dawn had crept upon the lunar settlement hours ago. Ali stepped quietly onto the steps of the courthouse. There her father waited with a young woman in a blue uniform. His face was as cold and emotionless as the day before. Even the morning sun could not bring life to his expression.  


“Officer O’Hara, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Alexandra Krieger,” stated the aging councilman. He was still in his night robes, yet he already had a glass of red wine in his hand. “You have two goals Miss O’Hara: keep my daughter alive and bring her back to the main port by the deadline. If she dies, do not bother returning to the main port. Understand?”  


“Yes sir.”  


Ali brushed her eyes along the figure of the young officer. She was tinier than expected, but noticeably fit. Her biceps were straining against the fabric of her shirt. Freckles dashed across her cheeks and despite the serious tone to her voice, childlike playfulness danced in her hazel eyes. She wore a dark blue uniform that was surprisingly reminiscent of the days before lunar settlements were even a consideration. Gold trim garnished the outfit, and a patch of the moon was emblazoned on the chest pocket.  


“Well, the ship is waiting at the launch. Farewell.”  


Ali’s father walked out of the room without a second glance.  


“He’s a charmer,” said the officer sarcastically.  


“He used to be,” sighed Ali. The officer felt a pang of guilt at Ali’s reaction. Maybe she had judged the old councilman too harshly.  


“Now that all the formal stuff is out of the way let me really introduce myself,” said the smaller girl. “I’m Kelley. I was assigned on this mission because I am currently suspended from the Lunar Corps.”  


“Can I ask why?”  


“You can, but that doesn’t mean I’ll tell you,” said Kelley with a smirk. “You have to earn it.”  


“What do I have to do?”  


“I don’t know yet, I’ll figure it out during the eight hours we spend stuck in the ship.” With that statement, the small officer began to dramatically march forward. Her hips swayed and her feet stomped dramatically on the cobblestone.  


“Uh…Kelley,” said Ali. Kelley stopped and spun around.  


“Yes?”  


“The launch is the other way.”  


“Oh, right.”  


The ship was smaller than Ali had imagined. Kelley was basically sitting on top of her, although she had a feeling that Kelley would have done so even if they had a larger ship. She just seemed like the overly friendly type, not that Ali was complaining. She hadn’t made many friends since her arrival at the lunar settlement. Her tastes were considered too “Earthen” by her wealthy neighbors. It was rare to find somebody as casual about life as Kelley.  


“You’re so down to Earth,” said Ali thinking aloud.  


Kelley began to giggle.  


“What?”  


“Down to Earth; that was a bomb-ass pun, Krieger. I’ll give you some points for that.”  


Ali rolled her eyes, but grinned slightly.  


“You are too,” said Kelley.  


“What do you mean?”  


“Well, for one of the elite, I would have expected you to be a bit more snobby, but then again, what snob would willingly go to the Barren to save her brother? You’re pretty cool Kriegs.  


“Are you not one of the elite,” asked Ali.  


“Hell no! The only reason I was able to live on the lunar settlement is because I joined the Lunar Corps. The only reason I was able to even do that is because I was a student at Stanford. If you came from a school like Stanford, you weren’t required to have an elite status.”  


“Well, going to Stanford is pretty elite in itself, in my opinion anyway. I was going to Penn State at the time of the outbreak.”  


At the word “outbreak”, Ali’s voice began to quiver.  


“You wanna watch a movie?” asked Kelley as she began to dig through her backpack in an attempt to lighten the mood.  


“What kind of movie?”  


“It’s a classic, dude. It’s called She’s The Man. Have you ever played soccer?”  


“Of course! I was a defender in college,” said Ali confidently.  


“Well, I have a feeling you’re gonna like this movie,” said Kelley as she plugged the drive into the ship.  


Ali learned three things during the trip. One, she and Kelley were going to be great friends. Two, Kelley was one of the top forwards in the nation at one point. Three, Kelley cannot shut up during a movie.


End file.
